In general, elevating or elevated platforms are used to access manways and/or other equipment such as valves and fittings that are positioned along a top portion of a container vessel, for example, such as a tank trailer, a tanker rail car and/or an isotainer. Typically, the top portions of these container vessels are rounded, thereby creating a potential fall hazard for operators working aloft. As a result, many elevating and/or elevated platforms include a platform safety enclosure.
A conventional platform safety enclosure includes a floor or platform, a series of handrails that extend around an outer perimeter of the floor and a gangway to allow for access onto the floor. The floor may include one or more access panels. Because the floor and access panels are weight-bearing elements, the floor and access panels typically are made of strong, rigid material such as steel. Though the access panels tend to be relatively heavy, they may be raised manually to an open position to provide for access to the manways and/or other equipment of the container vessel. Each access panel may be raised individually, and two or more access panels may be raised together simultaneously as a group of access panels. Unopened access panels and/or stationary panels provide a safe working/standing surface for the operators working on the platform.
In use, an operator raises the appropriate access panel and rests it along the handrail. A D-ring, chain and/or other device may be used to secure the access panel to the handrail, thereby preventing an accidental closure. Once the operator has completed his tasks, he must manually disconnect the access panel from the handrail and lower it back into position. This prevents a potentially dangerous open floor situation where an operator may inadvertently fall through an open access panel. This is particularly important when the platform is being used during low light and/or low visibility conditions.
One issue that arises with current platform safety enclosure designs occurs when operators occasionally forget to manually disconnect the access panels and to lower the access panel or panels back into a closed position, thereby potentially creating a fall and/or a trip hazard. Another issue occurs when the operator allows the access panel to free fall back into a closed position. Over time, this can cause significant damage to the access panels, thereby requiring costly repairs and extended down time for the elevating platform. Currently, repair and replacement often requires erection of expensive scaffolding which increases the time required to repair. Another concern arises when the opened access panel accidentally closes while an operator is positioned underneath, thereby potentially causing bodily injury.